Pair must stand trial in stabbing death of informant

PALMDALE – A Fruit Town Piru Bloods member and a Rollin 60s Crips member stabbed a fellow gang member at least 15 times in the torso for “snitching” on gang activities, according to court testimony.

The testimony came at a preliminary hearing Monday for Alfred Lee Crowder, 36, and Jonathan Duke, 23.

Both men are charged with the Oct. 17 stabbing death of 26-year-old Victor Miguel Enriquez. Enriquez was found on the ground, with multiple stab wounds to the torso, in the parking lot of the Sonoma Apartment Homes in the 38500 Block of 11th Street East in Palmdale.

Crowder, who goes by the street name “Big Dog”, is a member of the Fruit Town Piru Bloods; while Duke, who goes by the street name “Monster”, is a member of the Rollin 60s Crips, according to testimony from sheriff’s detectives Brandt House and Daniel Welle.

House said Enriquez, who is also a member of the Rollin 60s Crips, had been supplying information to the sheriff’s department.

In one instance, Enriquez told detectives about a “drug house” that was run by gang members, and then Enriquez purchased drugs from the house right before it was raided, House said.

Since deputies raided the drug house almost immediately after Enriquez made his purchase, gang members may have suspected that Enriquez was the one who tipped off police, House testified.

“Sounds like the [Rollin] 60s served up their own guy who was a snitch… Instead of an ongoing war, they solved the problem,” testified Welle, when given the hypothetical scenario by prosecutors.

“I’ve had numerous cases where Bloods and Crips are committing crimes together,” Welle said, when asked why members of rival gangs would be working together.

An eyewitness to the murder also testified at Monday’s preliminary hearing.

Terrance Dorsey testified that he had been hanging out with Enriquez near the Sonoma Apartment Homes, when he left briefly to walk his girlfriend home. Dorsey testified that when he returned, Enriquez was still alive and having an altercation with someone else in front of the apartment complex on 11th Street east.

Enriquez, 26, was found stabbed to death on Oct. 17 in this back parking lot of the Sonoma Apartment Homes in Palmdale.

Dorsey said he walked his friend through the apartment complex and was “basically shoulder to shoulder” with Enriquez when the attack began at the sally port gate near the laundry room.

Dorsey identified Crowder as the man who stabbed Enriquez with what appeared to be an eight inch stainless steel butcher knife. He said he did not see Duke do anything because he took off running immediately when the stabbing began.

Another eyewitness named Kenny Thomas told detectives he was walking on 10th Place East when he heard Enriquez yelling and then saw two suspects stabbing Enriquez in the parking lot, detective House testified.

“He said the two persons he saw were ‘Dog’ and ‘Monster,’” House said about the eyewitness.

When the eyewitness was shown photos, he told detectives he didn’t want to go to court, recanted his statements and said he made the whole thing up, House testified.

House also testified that the attack against Enriquez began in the sally port gate of the Sonoma Apartment Homes and continued for about 30 feet into the back parking lot on 10th Place East where Enriquez was found on the ground.

Witnesses told detectives that one suspect escaped in a compact blue car driving westbound on 10th Place East, while the other suspect ran westbound into some duplexes, House testified.

Enriquez suffered at least 15 stab wounds to the torso during the attack, House said.

Superior Court Judge Christopher Estes ruled Monday that there was enough evidence for Duke and Crowder to face trial. Duke was remanded on $1,050,000 bail, while Crowder was jail on $1 million bail. Both are due back in court on Dec. 5 for a second arraignment.